Bellybon
The Bellybon (Oryctolagus oceanus) is a large species of rabbit. It has been found everywhere around the globe as long as there is sea near by. Bellybons have large pronounced bellys which they use to stay buoyant while sleeping. The bellybon is well known for sleeping out in the ocean, where it spends most of its time when not feeding. Unlike the related hares (Lepus spp.), rabbits are altricial, the young being born blind and furless. Bellybon young live in a fur-lined nest in a warren next to the coast where the young live until they are old enough to venture out, until then they are totally dependent upon their mother. Since the onset of myxomatosis, and hunters catching them purely for food and their fur, few large-scale studies have been performed and many aspects of bellybon behaviour are still poorly understood. Terminology Bellybons are known by many names. Young bellybons are known by the names 'bunny', 'kit', or 'kitten'. A male bellybon is called a 'buck', and a female bellybon is called a 'doe'. A group of bellybons is known as a 'colony' or a 'gang'. Colloquially, a bellybon may be referred to as a "rabbit" or a "bunny", though the former is archaic. They are sometimes referred to comically as "water mutton". Bellybons are named after their large protruding bellys. Physical description The bellybon is a large, grey-brown (or sometimes black) mammal, it ranks as giant-sized by lagomorph standards. It ranges from 100 to 130 cm in length, not counting a tail of 10 to 16 cm. Weight can range from approximately 40 to 60 kg. As a lagomorph, it has four sharp incisors (two on top, two on bottom) that grow continuously throughout its life, and two peg teeth on the top behind the incisors, dissimilar to those of rodents (which have only two each, top and bottom). Bellybons have long ears, large hind legs, and short, fluffy tails. Bellybons move by hopping, using their long and powerful hind legs. To facilitate quick movement, a bellybons hind feet have a thick padding of fur to dampen the shock of rapid hopping. Their toes are long, and are webbed to keep from spreading apart as the animal jumps and for swimming in the ocean. Ecology and behavior Habitat Bellybons are social animals, living in medium-sized colonies known as warrens when they have young and mature bellybons sleep out in the ocean. Unlike most rabits which are largely crepuscular, being most active around dawn and dusk, bellybons are most active at day. During the day, bellybons prefer to reside on land, where they feed on grass and the occasional carrion. At night, they move out to the ocean to sleep. Bellybons require at least 55% water content in their diet to reproduce successfully and to maintain a healthy condition. Bellybons are essentially mixed-feeders, both grazing and browsing, they sometimes even eat meat from dead carcasses but grass is their primary food source. They will also eat tree bark, cabbage, root vegetables, and grains. Elupers are the primary predators of bellybons, as bellybons are easy prey when they are sleeping in the ocean. Dentrosaurus also eats bellybons, as bellybons mistake them for trees and try to eat the bark. Social organization Bellybon parents live in warrens when caring after their young. Teritorality and aggression contribute greatly to the bellybons maturation process and help ensure survival of the population. Mature male and females are better at fighting off predators and are extremely dangerous. Females tend to be more territorial than males. Bellybons mark their territories with dung hills. A bellybon’s success in repelling strangers depends on the potency of the dung hill. When young bellybons leave their natal warrens, they sleep out at sea and only live in warrens while they have their own young. Bellybons can be extremely aggressive in the wild, and attack anything that go near them or in their teritory. Bellybons use their powerful back legs as weapons, kicking at an opponent, as well as biting and scratching with the front paws, their most powerfull attack though is jumping up in the air and landing on the opponent with their large belly and feet. Humans' relationship with bellybons Humans' relationship with the bellybon was first recorded by the Seons prior to 350 AD, when they were exploring the oceans for sunken gold to give to Liquid fish who was the True knight king. Seons called the local bellybons giant sea rabbits because of obvious reasons. and were probably more common than rabbits in their native land at the time. Bellybons are hunted for their fur, meat and fat although this is dangerous as bellybons are highly terirorial and will easily injure an amature hunter. The true knight king Trots was able to tame a wild bellybon and kept it as a pet and bodyguard. this is the only recorded time in history of a person actualy taming a bellybon. Trots named his bellybon flump and let it sleep in his pool.